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Sea Lions Found Shot Near West Seattle

In the last six weeks, at least two sea lions that washed ashore in West Seattle were shot to death. The fine for killing a sea lion can be up to a year in prison and a $25,000 fine.
Credit: KING
In this April 12, 2007 photo, a sea lion catches an endangered Chinook salmon migrating up the Columbia River just below the spillway at Bonneville Dam, Wash.

SEATTLE -- Nearly a half dozen California sea lions have washed ashore in the last six weeks near West Seattle, and at least two of them are confirmed to have been killed by gunshot wounds.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) confirmed they are investigating the deaths.

Related: All In Our Feelings Over This Sea Lion And Butterfly

One sea lion found Wednesday has suspicious wounds, but a necropsy has not yet been performed to find the cause of death. There are several others still under investigation as well.

A sea lion found dead in West Seattle Wednesday was killed by gunshot wounds.

Sea lions are protected by the Marine Mammal Act. The fine for killing a sea lion can be up to a year in prison and a $25,000 fine. Those that are illegally killed are often killed with no witnesses, so it's rare anyone is prosecuted for the crime.

Also see | WATCH: Puget Sound sea lions ward off attacking orcas

The federal government calculates that more than 700 California sea lions have been killed in the last two decades. Sea lions are known to compete for fish and are often seen as a scourge on the fishing industry.

Related: A Sea Lion Undergoes Risky Radiation Therapy To Treat Cancer

NOAA says it’s not uncommon to find sea lions shot in the winter in Puget Sound as they migrate north. In the winter, the males travel north while the females and pups stay off the coast of southern California. Nearly every California sea lion spotted in Puget Sound in the fall and winter are males.

The idea of hunting sea lions has gained new momentum in Washington as the Southern Resident orca population continues to decline. The orcas primarily eat salmon, and a joint Oregon state and NOAA study found in 2017 that marine mammals catch more salmon than commercial fishermen.

Also see | Marine mammals catching more salmon than fishermen harvest

As a call for a cull mounts, the Southern Resident Killer Whale Task Force appointed by Governor Inslee has not yet made such a recommendation.

If you have any information about crimes against marine mammals, call NOAA’s law enforcement hotline at 800-853-1964.

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